This invention relates to testing in general and more particularly to an environmental hood for use in probing printed circuit cards under test in a cold controlled environment.
In order to meet certain specifications, electronic equipment must be capable of operating to extremely cold temperatures, normally -55.degree. C. In order to carry out such tests it is necessary that various parts of the circuit be probed while in a cold environment. Previous attempts to carry out such testing have not met with complete success. In one method, a clear plastic hood is brought to the test console and placed around the printed circuit board. Cold nitrogen gas is then admitted to the inside of the clear plastic hood in order to bring the circuit board down to the required temperature. With the plastic hood, frosting occurred and it was impossible to observe the printed circuit under test. Furthermore, probing required lifting the hood and thereby allowing the printed circuit card to come above the required temperature.
Another method which has been used is a cold chest in which the printed circuit board has been placed. In such an arrangement, a cable must be brought from the printed circuit board to the test sets. Again, cold nitrogen has been used as the cooling medium. Probing with the cold chest required a long cable run, in addition to making it difficult to probe. The long cable runs in some cases completely destroyed circuit operation, i.e., some printed circuit boards are such that they will not operate through more than a few inches of cable. Thus, there have been serious difficulties in running such tests particularly where automatic, i.e., computer controlled, card test sets were used. Such testing does require probing under temperature extremes. It is thus evident that there is need for an improved system which permits carrying out such testing.